


Our Love Will Be Legend (If We Let It Go)

by harrythe



Series: This One Comes and This One Goes [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - One Direction, Fate, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-06 22:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1112158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrythe/pseuds/harrythe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"I don't believe in fate. I believe in you." </i>
</p><p>Stiles Stilinski was sixteen when he auditioned for The X-Factor, just making the cut-off date for age.</p><p>Derek Hale was eighteen, almost nineteen, when he auditioned, despite being so nervous he almost blew his entire audition.</p><p>
  <i> Fate pointed the way, love brought them together, people, and often themselves, tried to keep them apart.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue- Fate is a Fickle Thing

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is beginning to sound old, but I really would like to thank my Sterek partner-in-crime/best friend/listener of my insane rambles, Ronie, for discussing with me on which Teen Wolf cast member most personified each One Direction member when I was tired, and possibly slap-happy, because without this discussion, this fic wouldn't be possible. 
> 
> I'd also like to thank Amber, my beta-reader/best friend/sounding board, who listened to me as I sent her a half-finished plot for this story at midnight, when I was sleep-deprived, and possibly delirious. 
> 
> I owe both those girls everything, and without them, half the stuff I write wouldn't be possible. 
> 
> Also, I need more sleep because apparently I start spouting off crazy things when I'm tired. Moral of the story, don't listen to me anytime after 11PM.

**Summer 2010**

They say that Fate is a tricky little thing. They say that she can be a little fickle. That sometimes, she’ll change her mind, moving key players, as if they are on a chessboard, trying to get to the end goal. Sometimes she’ll have a plan in mind, but then change it, and no one really knows the outcome. No one but Fate herself.

She’s at a concert now, she’s not sure of the band playing, it has little significance, She watches her two little babies, one fifteen, the other seventeen. The younger one is closer to the stage. He’s here with his best friend, the friend freshly sixteen with her driver’s license. The younger one has his hair shaved closely to his head, the same it’s been for awhile. His body moves to the music, a smile on his face.

The older one is a few rows back, where he can easily see the younger one. The older one is with his sister, who seems more enthusiastic than he does. The sister is bopping along to the song playing, while the older one just stands there, a little stiff, a little awkward, but a small smile on his face.

Fate watches her two babies closely. Watches as the older one loosens up, his foot tapping along to the beat. Watches as the younger one’s smile grows, his first real smile in a while. She should make her move, help them find each other, her babies. Help them discover the plan’s she has for them, but she holds back. It’s not time yet, she reasons. Just a little bit longer.

The younger one suddenly declares that he needs to go to the bathroom. This is it, she reasons, this is the moment she needs. She’s just getting ready to move them closer together, when she stops. The older male is content now. Ready to stay where he is. He’s got a smile on his face, and his sister is dancing around him. She watches as he checks his phone, a text from that pretty girl he was eyeing from his neighborhood, the one he’s known for awhile.

Fate sits back, her mind speeding through possibilities. It’s not time yet, she reasons. Not time for them to understand all she has planned for them. They have no idea of what she has in store. They are destined for great things, her two little ones, here without a clue, but not yet. Fate is content to wait for them, wait for them to be a little more prepared for all that is in store. Letting them meet now would change their destinies. Change the course of their lives, change their fate.

She pulls back a little, watches the scene playout. Watches how the younger one passes by the older one’s row, without even a second glance. Watches as the older one’s gaze remains focused on the stage, unaware that the one he is destined for is passing him by without a second glance.

Fate leaves the concert with a smile on her face. She has just set into motion one of her epic love stories, one that will be talked about, gossiped about, shouted from the roof tops about, and no one knows yet. She will hear of them in many of the years to come. Her two little ones, who just happened to be at the same concert, at the same time, and they don’t even know it. Her two little ones who’ll create a spark, and then a fire.

Their story, with her woven in, is beginning.


	2. Chapter 1 - Auditions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, huge shout out to my beta-reader Amber, who went over this with me at about eleven o'clock last night correcting all my mistakes. She is my lifeline, and the reason I was able to actually finish this chapter. Second of all, huge shout out to my best friend Ronie who lets me bounce ideas off of her, no matter what time of day it is. Without her, this fic wouldn't be what it is. 
> 
> Thirdly, I don't own Florence + The Machines' "Howl" or "Gives You Hell" by The All American Rejects. Fourth, if anyone would like to send me ideas for songs, they would be welcome, because I have no idea. It was a pure stroke of luck that I decided on their audition songs.
> 
> I think that's everything I need to say...

 

**Summer/Fall 2011**

Stiles was never much of a morning person, no matter how hard he tried. So when he had to get up early to travel to his audition for X-Factor, he was not happy, despite the fact that this was what he had been waiting for, ever since his mom told him he could do it. It even seemed like fate this year, just making the cut-off date for birthdays. This was the first year he’d be allowed to audition, and he was going to make it, no matter what it took.

He stumbled down the stairs of his two-story home, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His mom was in the kitchen, mixing him up a batch of pancakes.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” She exclaimed, running her hand across his shaved head.

“Morning Mom.” He mumbles, sliding down into a chair. His mom walks over to him, dumping a couple pancakes onto his plate. “Thanks, Mom.” He murmurs, grabbing the syrup.

“Just eat up, big day today!” She exclaims. “You’re dad should be here soon, he went to go pick up the shirts we ordered.”

“Mom, you didn’t have to…” Stiles groaned.

“Oh, sweetheart, we wanted to do something special. Today is a big day!”

Stiles grinned at her over his pancakes, just as someone knocked on the door.

“Oh! That’ll be Heather!” She exclaimed, turning away from the griddle.

“You invited Heather?” Stiles asked happily.

“Of course, sweetie. She’s your best friend! Figured you’d want her here on your big day.” His mom called as she walked towards the door.

He could hear the two females chatting in the doorway, as a car pulled away from the house. His mom led Heather into the kitchen, setting her at the table next to Stiles. Stiles’s mom then handed her a plate of pancakes, fresh off the griddle.

“Thanks, Mrs. S.” She chirped, reaching for the syrup.

The two teens ate in excited silence as Stiles’s mom flipped a few more pancakes. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway had Stiles perking up. His dad walked into the house, carrying a small box.

“Hey kiddo.” His dad greeted, setting the box down, and rubbing his hand along Stiles’s shaved head.

“Hey Dad.” Stiles greeted, reaching for the box. His mom handed him a pair of scissors so he could cut through the tape easily, and then he handed them back to her. He quickly opened up the flaps, and pulled them out. The front had the “Team Stiles” logo on them that his mom had drawn up a few weeks ago, and the back had their description. Stiles handed out the “Stiles’s mom” and “Stiles’s dad” shirts to his parents, before handing Heather the “Stiles’s best friend” shirt, and keeping the “Stiles” shirt for himself.

His mom beamed as she and his dad went to go put on their shirts. Stiles kissed her cheek before she left the room, thanking her for the shirts. Heather made her way into their downstairs bathroom as Stiles went upstairs to also change. He pulled off his pajamas quickly before throwing on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He was thankful that it was slightly warmer today, happy that he didn’t have to put on a jacket or something.

He took the steps down the stairs two at a time, running into the kitchen where Heather was, just finished changing into her shirt. The quickly gathered up the things he would need for his audition, his parents joining them a few minutes later, both in their shirts.

The drive to the arena was short, Stiles practicing his song the whole way. He knew the song backwards and forwards, was confident in his vocal abilities. He knew today was just the pre-audition, the first step in the audition process. He wouldn't even see the "real" judges today, just the producers. This was probably the more nerve wracking part of the audition process, knowing if he didn’t make it today, he wouldn’t make it to the actual judges.

When they arrived at the arena, they checked in, and Stiles was shocked at the massive queue that was already there. They waited for a little while, before the producer came out and talked to them. They had some show filming to do before they would actually get to the singing part. They were lead inside the arena area where they learned a few “dance moves” where they did some stuff for different songs, and passing along the X-Factor flag. It was a few hours before they were moved into booths to begin the actual singing process.

Stiles moved into his booth almost on autopilot. The producers were walking around, interviewing people, and the sounds of a few voices carried into the air. Stiles could feel his nerves growing, but he tried not to let it get to him.

When two producers finally stood in front of him he took a deep breath, and let out a small smile.

“Name?”

“Stiles Stilinski.”

One of the producers cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Umm, I don’t like my given name, so I go by Stiles. My best friend Heather gave me the nickname in Kindergarten.”

“Age?”

“Sixteen.” He announced,

“Alright Stiles, will you sing a few bars for us?”

Stiles nodded, and took a deep breath. “I wake up every evening, with a big smile on my face, and it never feels out of place. And you’re still probably working, at a nine to five pace, I wonder how bad that tastes. When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell.”

One of the producers held up his hand, smiling. He handed Stiles a golden ticket. “Congratulations kid. Callbacks are in a week, wear the same outfit, bring the same people. We’ll see you then.”

Stiles was then directed to a queue, where he had to hand over his gold ticket and to show them his license for a letter telling him to come back in a week for the next step in the audition process, along with a few instructions.

Stiles left the area, a huge smile on his face. He ran over to his parents and Heather, a huge smile on his face. “I did it!” He exclaimed proudly.

Congratulations were given as they walked back out to the car they came in. Stiles explained all the guidelines, and everything they could expect from the callbacks the next week. He was well on his way!

* * *

“Derek!” His older sister, Laura, called to him from the doorway of his bedroom.

Derek groaned and threw his pillow over his head trying to block out the sound.

Laura bounded into the room, tearing his pillow away from him. “Come on, dude! You get to be on television today!” She sing-songed.

“Why’d you have to be so happy?” He grumbled.

“I can’t support my baby brother?”

“No.” He groaned out, before sitting up in bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and stretched out his muscles. He kicked Laura out of his bedroom before grabbing the clothes he wore to his original audition a few weeks ago.

He stumbled down the stairs, the smell of his mom’s cooking hanging in the air. His whole family were waiting in the kitchen, and a knock at the door revealed his girlfriend Kate on the other side. He and Kate had only been dating for a few months, but they’d been friends for years, and Kate’s niece, who was only a year or so younger was a dancer with the X-Factor troop, had started this year.

He walked over to Kate, kissing her cheek. He led her over to the table, where they settled in for a bit of breakfast before they had to leave.

The drive to the arena was short, silent except for Derek humming his song, practicing again. He wasn’t super nervous, having already performed for the producers twice, and then waited for the callback after that second time. He was also curious who else would be auditioning for the judges today, and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt, or who he was more anxious about singing for.

The judging panel were some of the best people in the whole business, Adrian Harris, a producer who was known for being a bit of an asshole, except for people he really liked. He had kickstarted plenty of careers, but also could take down people at the snap of his fingers. Bobby Finstock who used to be a talent scout for big name record companies, was the only really likeable judge. He was tough, but he also cracked a lot of jokes. Marin Morrell was the only female judge, a semi-retired pop princess who was known for pushing contests to work harder, and perform better. Alan Deaton was the head judge, owner of some of the biggest talent firms in the business. It was his company, Alpha Records, that the winning act would end up being signed to. Deaton was the toughest judge, offering advice in cryptic comments, and sometimes sarcastic remarks.

When they arrived, Derek quickly checked in, then stood in line with his family and Kate, waiting for the judges. The line seemed to be moving at an average pace, but it seemed to crawl by for Derek. His parents got into a conversation with the parents in front of him. Their son who was auditioning, was also standing with a pretty blonde girl. They looked to be in a deep conversation, and the male kept waving his hands around, a little exuberantly.

Kate had her makeup mirror pulled out, and she kept fixing her hair, especially when the television cameras came near them.

“Sweetie?” She crooned to Derek.

Derek turned to look at her. “What?”

“You wouldn’t happen to know where I can get a drink, would you?”

Derek sighed, and handed over his water bottle.

“Thank you!” She chirped, before guzzling the whole bottle down.

Derek tried to stifle his groan, but his mother just reached inside her purse and pressed another water into Derek’s hands. She flashed him a brief smile before returning to her conversation. He took a quick sip before going over his song again. He knew he knew it perfectly but it seemed to calm his nerves. He’d rehearsed it a thousand times, he could do this.

Soon enough, someone approached his place in line, and began talking to the boy a few people ahead of him, getting his story. He tried not to pay attention, focusing instead on what he was going to say if they came up to him.

After about a half hour, the camera men approached Derek, ready for his brief interview.

“Hi, I’m Derek, I’m eighteen and I’m from Los Angeles.” He announced to the camera, trying not to show his nerves.

“Hi, Derek. Tell us a bit about yourself. Have you always wanted to be a singer?”

“I never thought of myself as much of a singer until I auditioned for my school musical, and I got the lead. We performed Beauty and The Beast, and I played the Beast, and ever since then people told me I could sing. So, I guess I kind of just decided to go for it. Now, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. This is kind of my one big shot. A conformation that I’m going down the right path in life.”

The producer thanked him, then moved on to the next people in line. Derek sagged a little before taking another sip from his water bottle. The line seemed to move more quickly then, and before he knew it, he was inside the venue, almost to the front of the line. He started to sweat a little then, and excused himself to go to the bathroom, his stomach rolling and pitching inside him.

He walked inside, and did his business quickly. He stepped up to wash his hands at the sink, and splash some water on his face. He was about to open the door to walk out when it flew open, and he had to step back quickly before he was hit.

“Oh my god! I am so sorry!” The kid he had seen in line earlier, apologized. He looked almost as nervous as Derek felt.

“It’s fine.” Derek appeased him.

“I’m Stiles.” He introduced himself, sticking out his hand.

“Derek.” He shook the offered hand, and Derek noticed that the kid’s hand was kind of clammy.

“So, Derek, have you auditioned yet?” He questioned.

Derek shook his head. “Have you?”

“Nope.” Stiles answered, popping the ‘p’. Derek almost chuckled at the kid’s fake confidence. He could see the kid was actually sweating bullets.

“Are you nervous?” Derek asked.

“Scared shitless.” Stiles answered, honestly.

“Me too.” Derek shrugged. “Well, I should get back in line.”

“Good luck.” Stiles said, moving further into the bathroom.

“Yeah, you too.” Derek left the bathroom, and made his way back in line. A few minutes later, Stiles slid into line with his parents, and soon after that he was in the arena, auditioning.

Time seemed to speed up even faster as Derek was suddenly at the front of the queue. He watched as Stiles came back from inside the arena, a huge grin on his face as he talked animatedly, showing he had made it through. He caught sight of Derek still standing in line, and flashed him a thumbs up, and Derek nodded, still a bundle of nerves.

All too soon Derek was led backstage where the host, Ennis was waiting.

“You ready?” He asked, his voice a bit gruff.

Derek didn’t say much, just nodded his head, as his mom patted him on the back. He was handed a microphone, and suddenly he was walking onto the stage, the lights almost blinding as he walked across until he was center stage, waiting for the judges to speak, his stomach a tight coil of nerves.

“And what’s your name?” Alan Deaton asked, from where he was sitting at the far right side of the table.

“My name’s Derek Hale.” A few cheers erupted from the crowds, but Derek couldn’t do much more than force a smile onto his face.

“And how old are you?”

“I’m eighteen.” He could faintly hear some girls screaming in the background.

“And where are you from?”

“Los Angeles.” A few more screams.

“And are you still in school?”

“I just graduated, and I applied to UCLA.” The judges had smiles on their faces, but he couldn’t tell much else of what they were thinking.

“And what are you going to study?”

“Performing Arts.” There were a few more screams from the audience, and Derek flashed them another smile, before returning his focus to the judges.

“And what are you going to sing for us today?”

“I’m going to sing “Howl” by Florence and The Machine.” A few whoop whistles sounded from the audience, and Derek chuckled.

“All right.” Deaton answered, gesturing for him to go on.

The intro bars to the song started playing and Derek took a deep breath before beginning. “If you could only see the beast you've made of me, I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free. Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart, drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart. My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in. You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl. My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in. You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl, howl, howl, howl.” His voice stuttered a bit over the first few lines, but it grew stronger as the song proggressed. He tried to loosen up, but he was just a bundle of nerves, and he was so terrified that it was going to show to the judges. He felt like he was going to throw up right on stage, in the middle of his song.

The crowd was getting noisy, but he couldn’t tell what the judges were thinking besides the fact that they were listening intently. “Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers. Starts so soft and sweet and turns them to hunters. A man who's pure of heart and says his prayers by night, may still become a wolf when the autumn moon is bright. If you could only see the beast you've made of me, I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free. The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound, I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallow'd ground.” He concluded the song, and the roaring of the crowd increased. The knots in his stomach increased, and it felt like he broke out in a cold sweat, he was so nervous.

Adrian Harris, who sat on the oppisite end of the table from Deaton had a small smirk on his face. “Not bad.” He commented. “I mean, you’re only eighteen, but not bad.”

Derek smiled weakly. He knew Harris was a very subjective judge, known for being kind of an asshole, so for him to say ‘not bad’ was kind of like saying that he really liked it.

Bobby Finstock cleared his throat from where he was sitting next to Adrian. “You were a little shaky.” He started. “But I think you got stronger, and that’s important.”

“Thank you.” Derek whispered, a little weakly. His hands were shaking so much, he wasn’t sure how he was still holding the microphone.

Marin Morrell nodded her head. “I agree with Bobby. I think you have something special, something that we could definintely work with.”

“Thank you.” Derek spoke into the microphone. His heart was beating so fast he was afraid that maybe just maybe, it’d fly out of his chest. He felt like he was going to throw up, right on the stage right in front of him, as he turned to Deaton, the hardest judge to please.

“I think you have a good voice.” Deaton commented. “I mean, a little fine-tuning, but I think it’s just because you’re still young.”

Derek couldn’t do much more than nod. He wasn’t sure how he was still standing, he felt like his knees could give out at any moment.

“Is everyone ready to vote?” Deaton asked, and the rest of the pannel nodded.

Derek’s heartbeat increased even faster. He knew that just because the panal didn’t have anything negative to say, didn’t mean that they were going to vote him through.

“Adrian?”

“Yes.”

Derek’s heatbeat skipped a bit, the naseau subsiding. At least one person thought he was good enough.

“Bobby?”

“Yes.”

Derek felt on the verge of tears. It was all down to this, he only needed three out of the four votes to make it through, and he didn’t know what to do.

“Marin?”

“Yes.”

Derek was sure his knees were going to give out. He felt like a huge weight had lifted off his shoulders, knowing that he had made it through. The roaring screams in the arena were almost deafening that he almost couldn’t make out what Deaton said next.

And that’s a yes from me.” Deaton concluded. “Congratulations, you made it through!” He announced.

Derek’s grin was so big that it threatened to break his face. He didn’t remember walking off the stage, but all of a sudden he was enveloped into a hug from his mother, and soon passed to other family members, and Kate kissing his cheek, murmuring a “Congratulations, sweetie.” into his ear.

* * *

Fate watched as the older boy celebrated with his family, a smile on her face. Her plan was in motion, the one she’d been planning for years. No one had noticed it yet, noticed how her two babies were standing so close in line, had met in a bathroom. How the younger one had made the sign-up date for auditions by just a few hours. How the older one had been so nervous, so nervous.

They drift together, even now, her little ones. The younger one, who had stayed to hear what had happened, catching the older one’s eyes across the room. The poor little things have no idea what she has in store, no idea that their journey is beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Bootcamp or as I like to call it: Stiles and Derek learn to flirt (and neither of them are subtle).
> 
> Reviews make the world go round <3


	3. Chapter 2 - Boot camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is probably going to be a really long author's note, so hold on: 
> 
> Shout-out to my crazy awesome beta-readers and best friends [Amber](http://archiveofourown.org/users/monsterexhibit/works/) and [Ronie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautifulsoulheart/pseuds/Beautifulsoulheart/). Without these two fabulous females, this would never be possible. I owe them everything. They have listened to me whine and cry about this chapter and I could not have done this without them. They also helped me choose the songs for this chapter, so you can thank them. These two are awesome, seriously. If anyone has suggestions for other songs, I am all ears. Seriously. Sorry, I say seriously a lot.
> 
> I don't own the songs in this chapter, I promise. They belong to the respective owners. I'm just using the lyrics.
> 
> AND ALSO, HUGE SHOUT-OUT TO AMBER FOR MAKING THE BANNER FOR THIS FIC. I LOVE IT SO MUCH, AND AM PUTTING IT IN EVERY CHAPTER, I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
> 
> Also, I don't think I've mentioned it, but the title for this fic comes from the song "Whispers" by Dave Baxter, which is my favorite Larry Stylinson song, like ever, and a huge inspiration for this fic. 
> 
> Hopefully, the next chapter won't take so long to update. This one was just tough because I had to do a lot of research for how boot camp works, and the difference between American boot camp, which I've watched, and UK boot camp, which I have a vague knowledge of due to my One Direction addiction, during X Factor, and how One Direction was put together during boot camp, and then pick songs, and make sure they fit the characters and then I've been overly emotional about Teen Wolf lately, and so I took a break from writing this to write a one-shot about short!Stiles, which will be coming soon... Also, while I was editing this chapter before posting it, my computer decided to be a dick, and shut itself down before I could save all the changes, so I had to do a lot of re-editing which is another reason this took so long...
> 
> I think that's it.
> 
> Oh, I almost forgot, I have no idea how X Factor boot camp works, outside of general knowledge, so I'm kind of going by what I've seen on television, and on my computer, and what people have written and blogged about after their auditions and stuff, and kind of completely winging it. So this isn't completely accurate, sorry.

**Fall 2011**

Stiles arrived at the arena for boot camp, feeling like a bundle of nerves. His whole body was practically shaking, knowing that he was about to go into one of the toughest parts of The X-Factor. Everything he’d been reading about the show, and what he’d seen on television pointed to this being hard. Half the people who auditioned and made it through would be cut by the end of the day. Stiles was pretty sure a panic attack was in his future. His heart was beating erratically, and he couldn't seem to calm down. He wished he could talk to his parents, but they were unreachable, part of the rules of boot camp. Their phones had to be turned off, or better yet, left in the rooms where they were staying, so that the contestants didn't get distracted.

He walked into the arena, trying to calm how he was feeling. As he looked around, he noticed a few people that had auditioned in Los Angeles, though he didn't even know their names. His stomach was a mess of knots, and he felt like he was going to throw up. He ducked into the nearest bathroom, and went straight for the sinks to splash some water on his face, trying to calm himself. A toilet flushed behind him, and out of one of the stalls walked the same guy Stiles had run into last time, Derek, if he remembered right. He didn't seem to notice Stiles until he looked up from washing his hands.

Stiles shot him a shaky smile, which Derek returned, with a tiny bit more confidence. He then walked over to the dryer and quickly dried his hands, before returning to where Stiles was, and sticking his hand out.

"It's Stiles, right?"

Stiles nodded his head, heart skipping a beat, and shook Derek's outstretched hand, impressed that Derek remembered. "You remembered."

Derek shrugged his shoulders. "I've always been good with names."

Stiles chuckled. "Good trait to have." 

"I guess so. I mean it certainly helps with making friends and stuff."

Stiles let out another little chuckle, his voice coming out shaky. "So, on a scale of one to ten, how nervous are you about today?" 

"Probably about a twelve." Derek answered with a small chuckle of his own.

"Not bad." Stiles mused.

"How about you?"

"Probably about the same. I did a lot of research, and from what I can tell, boot camp is always the hardest part of the show." He knew he probably sounded obsessive, but he couldn't help it, research was what he did. He liked to know everything about a topic before he jumped into it. 

"Well yeah, I heard they're cutting half the people today." Derek's voice shook a little on that. 

Someone else stepped into the bathroom at that moment, an older male who looked like he could be around Stiles's dad's age. Stiles started moving towards the door then, followed by Derek. They walked out of the bathroom together, where the producers were herding everybody into the arena. Stiles and Derek joined the horde of people, as everybody was ushered onto the large stage. Cameras were turned on, and the judges began to walk into the room from the back of the arena, as the contestants let out several cheers at seeing their idols. 

When they reached the table that was set up for them, Alan Deaton picked up the microphone that was placed on it, and started to address the crowd.

"Welcome to boot camp. I hope you came prepared to sing your best today, because half of you are going home tonight. If that sounds harsh, good. This is a tough business to break into, and we only want the best, the people who have what it takes to succeed, the total package. Alright, who's ready to get started?"

Despite the harshness of what Deaton had just said, everyone still cheered, ready to get the day started.

Everyone was dismissed for a bit, sent into a common area so they could rehearse, and meet with the producers who would go over their song choices with them, and make sure they had the background music for them.

Stiles patiently waited his turn, his foot jiggling, trying to calm his nerves. 

It wasn't long before the producers made their way to him, gathering all the information they needed. Stiles felt like his stomach was rolling and pitching inside him, ready to expel it's contents at any given moment, which would be inconvenient at best. He chanced a glance over at Derek, and he looked much calmer, but when Stiles looked at his eyes, he could see the nerves in them, and the slight way his hands shook, clenching and unclenching, as if he were struggling to keep his claws in or something. The thought made Stiles chuckle.

Derek suddenly looked over at him, causing Stiles to quickly turn his head a different direction, ignoring the blush that spread across his face at the guilt of being caught, catching the eye of a floppy haired boy that almost looked like a puppy. Stiles smiled at him, and the other boy instantly grinned back. Just then, the producers were calling everyone back into the arena, and having everyone file up onto the stage. 

"Okay, here's what's going to happen," Deaton began. "we are going to call your name, and you are going to tell us which song you've chosen, and then sing it for us. After everyone has done their piece, we are going to deliberate, and decide who is going to the next stage. I hope you came prepared to sing like your future depends on it, because as of this moment, it does. Let's get started, and good luck to all of you. You're going to need it."

As they slowly made their way through the people, Stiles could feel his stomach twisting into a tighter and tighter knot. He was sure he was going to throw up right in front of everyone. He could swear he felt the bile rising up in his throat. He was sure he was halfway to panicking when he heard Derek's name called. Stiles's head snapped towards Derek, who looked calm and composed, except for the occasional tremor that ran through his hand. The mic was shaking as Derek raised it up to his mouth, his knuckles white as he gripped it.

"Hello Derek, what are you singing for us today?" Marin Morrell asked.

"Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls." Derek announced, voice shaking.

"Bold choice." Harris commented.

The music began to play, and Stiles watched as Derek inhaled a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "And I'd give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't wanna go home right now. And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life. And sooner or later it's over, I just don't want to miss you tonight."

Stiles watched as Derek seemed to grow a tiny bit more confident, his hands not shaking so much. 

"And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." 

Derek sailed through the chorus, gathering himself for the next verse. Stiles watched as Derek chanced a quick glance at him, just a quick slide of the eyes. Stiles fought back a blush when Derek turned to look back at the judges.

"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming. The moment of truth in your lies. When everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive. And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am."  Derek concluded his song, sweat shining on his face, hands still shaking. 

"Thank you." Finstock said, before calling on the next person. Derek looked over at Stiles, before looking back at his original spot, then looking back at Stiles. He seemed to make a decision, and ended up sitting next to Stiles. Stiles didn't say anything, just chanced a glance next to him, where Derek had a slight smirk on his face. They were sitting close enough that their shoulders touched, and Stiles could feel himself relaxing, soaking in the warmth of another person.

The puppy-faced boy who had smiled at him earlier, whose name was Scott McCall, was next, and Stiles watched as he sang some sappy love song about being with your soulmate, or something. Stiles looked up at Derek halfway through the song, and Derek looked at him, a slight grin on his face. 

Stiles zoned out a bit after that, until he heard his name being called. Derek nudged him with his shoulder, prompting him to stand up. His head immediately jerked to look at the judges, before he shakily got to his feet, accepting the microphone from the girl that was before him. His hands were shaky, and he felt like he couldn't get a good grip on the mic. 

"And what are you going to sing for us, Stiles?" 

"Baby Britain by Elliott Smith." Stiles commented, feeling like he was about to throw up.

"Interesting." Deaton commented, his right eyebrow quirking.

Stiles chanced a quick glance at Derek, who was smiling encouragingly at him, and Stiles relaxed a bit. He could do this. The music began, and Stiles took a deep breath, his eyes locking at a point in between where Marin Morrell and Bobby Finstock were seated. "Baby Britain feels the best, floating over a sea of vodka. Separated from the fights problems with bigger problems. Sees the ocean fall and rise, counts the waves that didn't hit her. Water pouring from her eyes, alcohol again, very bitter." 

The judges all had neutral expressions on their faces, and Stiles's nerves increased, terrified of the worst. His eyes slid back over to Derek, who was watching with rapt attention, his eyes focused on Stiles's face.

"For someone half as smart, you'd be a work of art, you put yourself apart, and I can't help until you start. We knocked another couple back. The dead soldiers lined up on the table, still prepared for an attack. They didn't know they'd been disabled, felt a wave, a rush of blood. You won't be happy till the bottle's broken. You're out swimming in the flood, you kept back, you kept unspoken. For someone half as smart, you'd be a work of art, you put yourself apart, and I can't help until you start. For someone half as smart, you'd be a work of art, you put yourself apart." He finished the song, the final notes of the background track fading into the background.

"Thank you." Finstock said, expression still neutral.

Stiles handed the microphone to the next person, going back to sit by Derek, who still had a smile on his face. Derek slung an arm over his shoulder, pulling him into a side hug, not saying anything, just offering wordless comfort.

Time seemed to pass more quickly now, and soon enough the last person was done singing, and everyone was herded off the stage. The judges were now in deliberation, and the contestants had no choice but to wait. Stiles sat down in a group of chairs, sinking into it, trying to calm his nerves. Derek sat next to him, his foot jiggling like he was nervous too. 

"You were good." Derek suddenly stated, snapping his head to look at Stiles.

Stiles turned his head to look over at him. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I think you were one of the best ones there."

"Did you see the judges?" Stiles asked. "They weren't smiling or anything."

"They always look like that." Derek reasoned, awkwardly patting Stiles on the back. "Especially Harris. He always looks like an asshole."

"That's because he is an asshole." Stiles chuckled, though it sounded a tad forced, as Derek joined in. Derek's hand slipped from Stiles's back until it was resting between their two bodies, and Stiles thought about grabbing it, holding it. Derek moved his hand before he could get the chance, hands in his lap, twiddling his thumbs. 

"This has to be the hardest part." He murmured. "Knowing that you did your best, but not knowing if you're good enough."

Stiles let out a weak chuckle. "I've never been good at waiting."

Derek looked over at him, curiosity on his face. "Really?" 

"ADHD. Can never sit still, no matter how hard I try. I've been told by my parents that I even move in my sleep..." 

"Huh. Is that why you're constantly fidgeting?" 

Stiles nodded. "Used to drive my teachers up the wall. Also used to make it hard to make friends. Nobody wanted to be friends with the kid who couldn't shut up, and couldn't sit still like everyone else."

"Well I think it's cool." Derek stated, a serious expression on his face.

Stiles did not blush, would swear it to his dying day, even as he felt his cheeks heat up a bit at the compliment. "Really?" 

"Well, yeah. You'd be cool to watch at a concert or something, you know, when you become famous. You'd have so much energy, you'd sort of bounce around the stage,. Especially if you danced to routines and stuff." 

Stiles laughed. "I can't dance for shit, man. I look like a floppy fish that washed up on the beach."

"Even if you didn't dance, then. You'd still look cool, just bouncing around the stage. I'd go to one of your shows. You'd be entertaining as hell."

Stiles would swear to his dying day that he did not blush at this either. "You really think so?" 

"I know so. You're good, Stiles. Like crazy good. People would kill for your talent. In fact," Derek grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from a nearby table that had been left there for the contestants so they had something to do. "Can I have your autograph?" 

Stiles about choked on air. "Dude, are you serious?"

Derek just grinned and held out the pen and paper. "Humor me?"

Stiles just shook his head, blushing like crazy, and quickly signed the piece of paper. Derek carefully folded it up, pulled out his wallet, and carefully tucked the slip of paper in it, and then stuck the wallet back in his pocket.

"You're insane, you realize that, right?" Stiles was still blushing, but he had a huge grin on his face. 

Derek just grinned, and the two sat the rest of the time in silence, before one of the assistant producers came out and held up a bullhorn so people could hear him. 

"All right everyone, when I call your name, please make your way onto the stage."

The nervous knot was back in Stiles's stomach, twisting his gut into a tight coil of nerves. The assistant producer continued calling people, until he seemed to finish, and the doors closed again.

"Is this bad? Oh god, I blew it. Oh god, oh god, oh god." Stiles started babbling, worried that he was going to throw up all over Derek.

Derek started rubbing his hands up and down Stiles's back, trying to calm him down. Stiles relaxed a little, leaning into the touch. He tensed up again though when a very faint cheer could be heard from behind the closed doors, which probably meant that that group had made it through.

The assistant producer came back out, and continued to call more names, and once again, Stiles nor Derek's name was called. Stiles's nerves increased, and he was sure he was about three seconds from throwing up. Nothing was heard this time until the assistant producer came back out, and called for the final group of people. Derek stood up, pulling Stiles with him. They made their way onto the stage, Derek still pulling Stiles, standing in the middle of the group before the judges. Bobby Finstock held the microphone, and he waited until everybody had filed onto the stage before he began to speak.

"I just want to say that all of you did very well today. Unfortunately I have some bad news."

Stiles's stomach sank. He'd been dreading this. And yet, he didn't think it would end like this. An entire life of being told he wasn't really good at anything, and here was just one more thing he wasn't good enough at. Not lacrosse, where he was the resident benchwarmer, not school, where he was second in his class, and now this, not even able to make it past boot camp. He wasn't destined to be a star.

"You guys are going to have to work extra hard because you made it through!" He announced.

At first it didn't register, but when it did, Stiles's felt like he was going to pass out. He was sure his knees gave out though, because he vaguely registered Derek holding him up, and his legs shaking. He'd made it through. He'd actually made it through to the next round of boot camp. It wasn't much, but he knew he'd have to work harder to make it to the Judges's Houses. The next day was going to have to be the hardest he'd ever worked in his life. But he had made it through. He felt like he was on Cloud 9. He felt like he was floating, that he'd drift off into something new. It was one of the best feelings in the entire world, knowing he had made it, knowing that once again he was good enough, that he was talented enough. He was sure he was going to sprout wings and take off, he felt that light on his feet, that happy. 

He didn't hear what was said, though he figured it was probably a round of congratulations, but all of a sudden, the back of the arena opened, and the contestants from the first group of people came streaming in. Congratulations were given all around, Stiles, before the producer came in and announced the plans for tomorrow, before sending everybody back to their hotel where everyone was staying. Stiles didn't get much sleep that night, his emotions too haywire, but he had made it through one more day.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early. Derek woke up, squinting a little in the sunlight streaming through his window, took a shower, and quickly dressed. He decided to just wear a plain black t-shirt, and his jeans, before he quickly tried to spike his hair a little, still wet from his shower. The ride to the arena was short, and Derek immediately started looking for Stiles. Stiles was off to the side, wearing an oversized plaid shirt and graphic tee, and baggy jeans, in a conversation with a teen who had floppy-brown hair, and a bit of a crooked jaw, who was wearing a t-shirt, and jeans. When Stiles saw Derek, he put his hand up, and started to wave, and Derek walked over, raising his own hand in greeting.

"Derek, this is Scott. Scott, Derek." Stiles introduced the two strangers.

Derek only had time for a little nod of acknowledgement, before the producers were calling everybody into the arena. The judges weren't inside yet, probably doing interviews, or hair and make-up for the cameras. 

The producers gave them a brief run-down of the day, which included everybody being put into pairs and singing a song together, before the judges walked in, all grim smiles.

"All right everyone, you're going to be put into pairs, based on your category and vocal ability to sing for us, to determine the better act, and by the end of the day, only six acts from each category will make it through to the judges houses. Good luck to you all." Deaton announced to the group, before he started naming off pairs.

He vaguely heard Stiles's name called, blood pounding in his ears as his nerves kicked in, and looked to see him paired with some blonde-haired asshole looking teen named Jackson.

The names continued until Derek's name was called, paired with another teen around his age named Danny. Derek had seen Danny sing the other day, and knew he was good. Derek had his work cut out for him, which did nothing to help his nerves. The group was dismissed after this, and each pair split off into different parts of the room. Producers were walking around, going over song choices with each contestant, before sending them to the rehearsal space. Each pair only had a few hours, at most, to prepare their song choices. 

"So, Derek, what do you prefer to sing?" Danny asked him, as they sat in a small group of chairs.

"I usually sing anything by the Goo Goo Dolls, or OneRepublic, little bit of The Fray."

"We're going to get along just fine." Danny grinned, and Derek swore Danny's eyes drifted downwards, as the producer walked towards them. 

"So boys, what'll it be?"

Danny looked over at Derek as he said very slowly, so Derek could stop him. "We were thinking, maybe, doing 'Apologize' by OneRepublic?" Danny finished it on a question, glancing at Derek, and Derek nodded his head. He knew the song well enough; it wouldn't take him long to learn it. 

"Nice choice, gentlemen." The producer stated. "Looks like you'll be all set." He gave them the rest of their information, sending them off to the rehearsal spot, so they could work with a voice coach. 

They ran through the song a few times, Danny taking the higher parts, and Derek the lower parts, and splitting up verses. Both seemed to have a good handle on it when they left the vocal coach, and went to a quiet corner of where everyone else was, when the producer came to fetch them to go onstage. "You boys ready?" 

Derek couldn't do much more than nod, his stomach twisting into knots. The producer led them both backstage, where they had to wait a few minutes for the act before them to finish up. Lyrics to some top forty pop song floated towards them, but Derek wasn't paying attention, too focused on not throwing up all over his shoes. The act before them finished, and Derek took a huge breath as he was handed the microphone and almost pushed onto the stage. 

"Hello boys." Finstock greeted them.

"Hello." The two replied in unison.

"And what are you two going to sing for us."

"Apologize by OneRepublic." Danny answered, voice a little shaky. 

"Interesting." Harris commented as the song began.

Danny had the first verse of the song, so he took a deep breath and began to sing. "I'm holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground, and I'm hearing what you say, but I just can't make a sound. You tell me that you need me, then you go and cut me down, but wait, tell me that your sorry, didn't think I'd turn around, and say..."

Derek held up his microphone, hand slightly jittery, and white knuckles where he clutched the mic, and the two began to sing in harmony. "That it's too late to apologize, it's too late. I said it's too late too apologize, it's too late, oh oh."

Derek had the second verse, so he continued singing, as Danny got a little break. "I'd take another chance, take a fall, take a shot for you. I need you like a heart needs a beat, but it's nothing new. Oh, I loved you with a fire red, now it's turning blue, and you say sorry like the angel heaven let me think was you, but I'm afraid..."

Danny joined him again for the chorus. "It's too late too apologize, it's too late. I said it's too late too apologize, it's too late, woah."

Danny sang the next part alone. "I said it's too late too apologize, yeah."

And then Derek. "I said it's too late too apologize, yeah."

Then they both came together for the final part. "I'm holding on your rope got me ten feet off the ground."

The final notes faded out, as the judges looked on with somber expressions. 

"Not bad." Deaton began. "But not great. I think your auditions were a bit better."

The knot in Derek's stomach increased. He had disappointed them. He was going to be sent home. His family was going to be so disappointed. Kate was going to be disappointed. Oh god, Kate would probably break up with him. His stomach was twisting into a tight coil of nerves.

"I agree." Harris stated from the other end of the table. "It was more karaoke bar on a Saturday night, less popstar."

Derek felt like he was going to throw up, even though he knew Harris was an asshole. His breathing had started to quicken, and he tried to control it, tried to keep it together. He wasn't going to pass out in front of the judges and cameras, even though it'd probably make good television.

"I think you guys still need to work at it just a bit more." Marin stated. "But there is no question that you guys are talented."

Her words did nothing to convince Derek. He still felt like he had messed up, big time. There was no way that he'd be accepted now, no way that he'd get to live his dream. This was it. This was everything he'd ever feared, they hated him.

"I agree with Marin." Finstock began. "You guys are talented, but I think this performance was second string, instead of first line like it needed to be."

"Thank you boys." Deaton stated, effectively ending this part of the process for them.

"Thank you." Both boys stated. They were lead off the stage then, and handed the microphones to the next duet. He tried to tell himself that he'd done the best he could, but he couldn't even mange to convince himself. Derek made his way back to the huge waiting area, scanning the room for Stiles. He saw him sitting with the same boy from earlier, Scott, and a couple females. Derek walked over, and plopped down between Stiles and a blonde female.

"Hey Derek!" Stiles exclaimed, a huge smile lighting up his face, that caused the knot in Derek's stomach to subside slightly, a warmth growing in his chest instead. "Have you performed yet?"

"Just got done." He mumbled.

"Well how'd it go?" Stiles persisted.

Derek shrugged his shoulders, trying not to convey that he wasn't exactly sure.

"I'm sure you did fine." Stiles reasoned, patting his back, turning back to the group. "Derek, you've already met Scott." 

Scott smiled at him, and Derek weakly returned it. 

"And this is Caitlin," He pointed to the brunette female, "and Erica." He pointed to the blonde sitting next to Derek. Derek gave them a small wave, which they both returned. 

"We were just talking about Harris." Stiles informed Derek, catching him up to the conversation. 

"What about him?"

 "He's an asshole." Stiles stated, a smirk on his face, and Derek recalled their conversation from yesterday, a grin on his face. The growing warmth settled in his chest, just thinking about how the two of them interacted the day before.

 "He thinks that just because he's kick-started some of the biggest names in music, it gives him an excuse to be an asshole." Erica practically spat out.

"He told me that I was better suited for a karaoke bar." Derek stated, watching as everyone's heads turned to face him.

Stiles snorted, before getting a horrified look on his face when everybody stared at him incredulously. 

"I'm sorry, I was just laughing about him calling you a karaoke bar singer. That's a new insult. He's been practicing. I don't think you're a bad singer, at all, Derek. You're really good, and-"

"Stiles?" Derek interrupted him. "Shut up."

Stiles blushed. "Sorry 'bout that. Sometimes I don't know when to stop, and I-"

Derek clapped his hand over Stiles's mouth, effectively silencing him, warmth spreading through him when Stiles immediately went silent. Erica and Caitlin looked grateful, and Scott just looked amused. The group sat in relative silence after that, trying to relax after a trying day of performances, and not get too stressed about the elimination coming up. He was sure at least one person dozed off at one point, Derek included. It was a few hours before the producer came out and announced he was going to be calling their separate categories on stage. Erica and Caitlin both disappeared when the "girls" category was called, with waves thrown over their shoulders to the boys still seated.

It felt like forever before the 'boys' group was being called onto the stage, the last category of the day. They all lined up in a row, a piece of tape showing them where to stand on the stage. Deaton was standing behind the table, a microphone in hand as he addressed the boys. 

"Hello gentlemen."

A chorus of 'Hellos' was heard down the line.

"Alright, well, let's not waste time. I'm sure you've all been waiting long enough, and are probably more than a little tired. We had a very difficult decision on our hands. All of you boys are extremely talented, there's no doubt about that. In the end, we had to judge you on your performances from the past few days, and talent combined, along with your auditions. We also want you to know that if your name isn't called, that doesn't necessarily mean you're not talented. If you want this, really want this, you will keep pushing. This isn't the end, okay?"

The knot was back in Derek's stomach. He wasn't sure how much of this he could take. Honestly, this was the absolute worst part of the show, the waiting. He didn't know what he'd do if he was sent back home after this. Laura would probably tease him to no end, Cora would probably comfort him, being more like Derek. Uncle Peter would probably just make some creepy comment, while his mom would wrap him in a tight hug, and whisper that she was proud of him for making it as far as he did. He didn't want to go through that. Music was his dream. He had to make it. 

"Alright, the six males going through are: Jackson Whittmore."

The blonde who had sung with Stiles practically leaped in the air, and Derek's heart sank. He glanced down the line to where Stiles was standing, and Stiles looked like he was about to throw up. If Jackson had made it through, he didn't want to know what that meant for Stiles.

"Matt Dahaeler."

A brunette further down the line practically fell over in relief.  

"Tucker Cornish."

The male standing next to Derek stumbled a bit in relief, letting out a whispered 'Thank God.'

"Jared Sutheim."

The male standing two people to the right of Stiles looked like he was about to throw up in relief, and Derek's stomach tightened. They were only going to call two more names.

"Sean Long." 

He was going to throw up. They were only going to call one more person. He took another glance down the line, his gaze catching Stiles's, who looked extremely pale. His hands looked to be shaking, and Derek was sure he was sweating.

"And the last person who made it through to Judges' Houses is..." Deaton paused, glancing at every single male. "Danny Mahealani."

Derek was pretty sure his legs were about to give out. His stomach dropped to the floor. He hadn't made it. This was the end. He was sure there was no worse feeling in the world, at all.

"Congratulations to the six of you. As for the rest of you, good luck in your future endeavors."

Everyone was then ordered to file off the stage. Derek shuffled forward, catching a glimpse of Stiles, who was wiping tears on his sleeve. Some of the males didn't even bother wiping their tears, they just simply let them stream down their face. He watched as the camera crew started interview the rejected hopefuls, and prayed they didn't come near him. It was bad enough he hadn't made it through, he didn't want a camera stuck in his face, broadcasting his pain. 

It helped a bit to know they were the last group of people to be called. That meant that they could soon be on their way back home. Derek looked around for Stiles, but he was talking to the camera crew, so Derek couldn't go over there. He was crushed, quite literally, and Stiles didn't look much better, his eyes red and puffy from tears. 

A commotion near the stage entrance had Derek looking up, as one of the producers called the group of boys over. He had a piece of paper in his hands, and he waited patiently for the boys to gather round. Derek was near the front of the group, and Stiles sidled up next to him, and Derek threw an arm over his shoulder, pulling the slightly shorter boy in close. 

"I need the following five people to come with me." The producer stated. "Scott McCall."

Scott looked a little pale, like he was about to have a heart attack when his name was called. 

"Isaac Lahey."

A curly, golden-haired boy who looked like he was Stiles's age stepped a bit forward, looking like he was trying to fold in on himself.

"Vernon Boyd."

A stoic looking teen also stepped forward, his features giving nothing away.

"Stiles Stilinski."

Stiles's grip on Derek tightened, and Derek gripped his shoulder, his stomach knots increasing. 

"And Derek Hale."

Derek stepped forward, dragging Stiles with him. The producer led them back onto the stage, where four girls were also waiting, including Caitlin from earlier. The judges were standing behind the table, serious expressions on their faces. 

"Hello." Deaton greeted them, as they filed onto the stage, separating the boys and girls. 

Everyone on stage chorused a quick hello. Derek glanced around, and noticed the cameras were rolling. His heart rate picked up, wondering what it could mean.

"I know today has been rough, and judging by the looks on your faces, I know that it's been extremely hard for all of you." Finstock stated. "We've thought of all you guys as individual acts, and we feel you're too talented to let go of."

Derek was confused, and he could feel Stiles's confusion also. He had no idea what this could mean.

"We think it would be a great idea for you to form two separate groups. A girl group, and a boy group." Finstock continued.

Derek could feel his confusion growing, figuring they wanted them to form a group, and then come back the next year.

"I absolutely wish you guys the best going forward, and hopefully we'll meet again at some point." Deaton broke in.

A look of confusion settled across Derek's features. He had no idea what was going on, and he as he glanced at the other guys and girls, he could tell they were confused as well.

"We've decided to put you through to the judge's houses."

Derek was pretty sure his heart stopped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Next thing he knew, was that Stiles had leaped at him, and his arms automatically went around Stiles's legs, holding him up. Stiles buried his face in Derek's neck, taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself, his arms wrapped around Derek's neck. He never wanted to let go, relief flooding through him as he realized that he had made it through.

"Guys, guys." Deaton was calling them, so Derek reluctantly let Stiles go, and Stiles slid off of him, still holding onto Derek's shoulder as he tried to steady himself.

"This is a lifeline." Deaton stated. "You have got to work at least ten hours a day, every single day."

Derek could feel Stiles nodding his head, as his hand went up to his face, hiding the huge grin spilling across his face. 

"You've got a real shot here, guys. So, if you need to go and have a little think about it, feel free. This could affect your futures greatly." Deaton concluded.

No one said anything for a few seconds, until Derek heard a familiar voice begin to speak. 

"I think we," Stiles gestured to the boys, "would like to take a part of this opportunity."

Derek felt himself nodding, and Deaton just smirked.

"Are you sure you don't want to discuss this with your potential bandmates?"

Derek glanced at the other boys, but all he saw were looks of affirmation that they wanted this also, wanted the chance to become part of the band, wanted the chance to take the next step forward. 

Scott piped up this time. "I really do think we'd like to take this opportunity." He says.

The girls seemed to nod in affirmation as well. 

"Well, then I think you guys better get started, and we'll see you in a few weeks at the judges houses."

Deaton dismissed them, and Derek walked off the stage on shaky legs, Stiles's arm still thrown around his neck, slightly leaning into Derek, his legs also shaky. Ennis, who'd been wandering around the whole day, doing his own bits of shooting throughout the day greeted the boys at the bottom of the stairs, cameras already trained on them. 

"Well boys, how's it feel?" He asked, microphone in hand. 

"Definitely one of the best feelings in the world." Stiles answered, his voice rather faint. "I mean, to go through that whole thing, thinking you're not good enough, and then to find out that you are after all, it's just... I mean..." 

"What about the rest of you?" He asked.

"Well, I mean, it's definitely a game changer." Scott answered. "I mean, all of us auditioned as solo acts, and then to get put into a group, it's going to take some adjusting." 

"Well, I wish you guys the best of luck." Ennis answered, and he went to go interview the girls, and the boys were left, relatively, alone for a few minutes.

"So..." Isaac drawled out, voice uncertain. 

"So, I know we all know each others names, but I feel like we should all introduce ourselves anyways." Stiles stated, his voice still thrumming with excitement. "I'll go first. I'm Stiles Stilinski, I'm sixteen, and I'm from a small town called Beacon Hills in California, my dad's the Sheriff there." 

"Stiles Stilinski?"

"I don't like my first name, so I convinced everyone to call me Stiles when I was younger, and it just kind of stuck." 

"I'm Scott McCall, I'm sixteen, and I'm from Washington D.C. My dad's an FBI Agent, and my mom's a nurse. They're divorced now though." Scott introduces himself, with a little wave at everybody.

"I'm Isaac Lahey, I'm sixteen, and I'm from New York. My dad's the High School Swim Coach at my school, and my mom died when I was little." Isaac greets everyone, with a little nod, his golden curls bouncing.

Derek glances over at Vernon, but Vernon motions for him to go ahead. 

"I'm Derek Hale. I'm eighteen, and I'm from Los Angeles. My parent's are lawyers, mom's an environmentalist, and dad's a criminal lawyer." Derek stated, a small wave of his hand.

They all turn to Vernon next, Vernon who looks far too serious for a teenage boy.

"I'm Vernon Boyd, but please just call me Boyd. Vernon sounds like an old man. I'm seventeen, and I'm from Detroit, Michigan. Mom's a social worker, and Dad's a business man." 

Silence descended the group when Boyd finished talking, the sound of camera crews buzzing around, and people talking filling the air. 

"So, should we make plans to meet up somewhere so we can practice and stuff?" Scott tentatively asked the group.

"Probably." Stiles answered.

"My parents have a beach house, about an hour from here." Derek proposed, before he could stop himself. They hadn't gone there in a few years, his parents being too busy to take the time off, but they still owned it, still kept it up, just in case. He was sure his parents wouldn't mind him using it for a few weeks.

"That'd be cool!" Stiles exclaimed.

The other boys nodded in agreement, and Scott looked ready to jump in, until a producer appeared next to them, telling them they were needed for an interview. The group was lead outside, where the group of girls was waiting, and Kali, the host of Xtra Factor, the "after show" for X Factor. Stiles swung his arm around Derek's neck, and Derek kept his around Stiles's waist, focusing on the warmth that was filling him, as he watched Stiles's grin, and how he was just so excited. For the first time since his audition, he felt relaxed, like he was ready to conquer the world.

* * *

Fate moved around the arena, searching. She spotted her two boys, with their arms touching, grins on their faces. She watched as they made plans with the other three boys, to meet at the older one's beach house. She watched the way they moved, always conscious of where the other one was.  She watched as they all exchanged phone numbers, their awkward getting to know each other for a few brief moments. She watched as they met up with the other acts that were put through. How they always chanced glances at each other, occasionally blushing as they were caught looking. A gentle smile formed on her face, as her two babies danced around each other, a dance as old as time. Their destiny was coming together, pieces moving across the chessboard, getting closer and closer to their goal, to their fate. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Before Judge's Houses or as I like to call it: Stiles and Derek become best friends (and they work on becoming part of a boyband). Or, better yet: Five boys come together to form a band, a band that will take over the world, even if they don't know it yet. I have a flair for the dramatics, sorry, not sorry.
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](http://harrythe.tumblr.com/)


	4. Chapter 3 - Before Judges' Houses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Umm, hi guys. This took a lot longer than I thought it would. I totally did not see this taking this long. But, I should know better. I got hit with a huge case of writers block for this story, so I worked on some other things, and kind of forgot about this. So. Umm, yeah. 
> 
> I own nothing except the plot. That's all mine.
> 
> All the thank yous from last chapter apply to this chapter as well, so there's that. Sorry, I don't feel like typing everything out.

Derek stood at the door of his parent’s beach house, anxiously scanning the road ahead, before checking his phone again for new messages. Nothing, except the _Almost there :)_ text he had received from Stiles almost five minutes ago. They had been talking almost constantly since bootcamp a few weeks prior, having exchanged numbers with everybody. He had kept in contact with the others, just a few texts here and there about travel plans and the like, but he and Stiles texted constantly. It seemed they never stopped, from the time Stiles woke up, which was almost always around noon, to the time Derek went to bed around one in the morning.

Now, they were all coming to the beach house, almost until the time for judges’ houses. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, a bundle of nerves, and he was sure if Laura was here, she would be laughing at him. As it was, his parents were in the kitchen, making sure it was fully stocked with both healthy food for meals, and junk foods to snack on, and that the boys would have everything they needed for the next couple weeks. His parents were mostly going to leave them alone, only checking in on them from time to time, just to make sure everything was going okay.

A blue jeep pulled into the driveway then, and Derek was feeling anxious, until he saw Stiles bouncing in the back seat. The jeep had barely stopped before Stiles was barreling out of it, and running up to where Derek was, practically throwing his arms around Derek’s neck, wrapping him up in a hug. Derek stiffened a bit, not used to being jumped on, before he relaxed into Stiles’s warm embrace.

“Hey!” Stiles pulled back, a bright smile on his face.

“Hey.” Derek said back, a similar grin on his face. “How was the drive?”

“Long, I thought we’d never get here!”

Stiles’s parents clambered out of the jeep, and Stiles bounded over to them, skinny limbs practically flailing, grabbing his stuff as he went.

“Mom, Dad, this is Derek. Derek, these are my parents, John and Claudia Stilinski.”

John held his hand out for Derek to shake, as Stiles continued towards the house, dropping his stuff in the entryway, already making himself at home.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Stilinski.”

“Oh sweetie, just call us Claudia and John.” Claudia stated, wrapping him into a hug. Derek relaxed into the embrace, a smile on his face. A small noise from behind him caused him to turn around to where his parents were standing. Derek stepped away from Claudia, and went to stand by his parents.

“Mr. and Mrs. Stilinski, Stiles, these are my parents: Talia and Dante Hale.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” John said, sticking his hand out for Dante to shake while the two women embraced. Then, Talia pulled Stiles into a hug, and murmured something in his ear,  too low for anyone else to hear, but had Stiles blushing red. When she pulled back, she had a gentle smile on her face.

“Derek, why don’t you show Stiles where he’s sleeping? We’ll show Claudia and John everything else.” Dante suggested.

“You ready?” Derek asked Stiles.

Stiles nodded, grabbing his bags, and Derek led him away from the entryway, and into the living room. A set of stairs was on the right side, the door to the kitchen on the left. A piano sat in the corner of the room near the staircase, and a huge bookcase was behind it, set inside the staircase. On the other side of the room was a huge entertainment center, filled with a few game consoles, a DVD player, a television, and almost every DVD known to man.

“Wow.” Stiles breathed out.

Derek led Stiles up the stairs, showing him the bathroom before leading him down the hall to where his bedroom was. Inside was a set of bunk beds, used for when Derek used to bring a friend on family vacations. Sometimes it was awesome to be the middle child and the only boy. A framed photo of Kate was on the bedside table, and he watched as Stiles’s gaze drifted towards it, before sliding away and morphing into an expression Derek couldn’t decipher.

“I hope you don’t care that we’re sharing a room.” He said tentatively. “There’s my sisters’ room down the hall, which has two twin beds and a futon for the others. I mean, you can stay there, if you want, in case you don’t like sleeping in a bunk bed, or in here, with me,” he finished lamely.

“It’s fine!” Stiles beamed. “I just can’t believe this is actually happening.” He enthused. “Like, it still feels like a dream. A really incredible dream.”

“Boys!” Talia called from the front hall. “Can you come back down here?”

Both boys trudged down the staircase and through the living room back towards the front hall where a new set of voices joined their parents.

Scott, and someone who Derek assumed was his mom, only judging by the way she looked like an older, female version of him, were standing in the entryway. Stiles bounded towards him, as Derek followed more sedately. Scott looked up at the two of them, a grin spilling across his face.

“Hey guys, this is my mom, Melissa McCall. Mom, this is Stiles, and Derek.” He introduced them. Both Stiles and Derek shook hands with Melissa, offering her tentative grins. Stiles then quickly wrapped Scott up in a hug, both of them with huge grins. Derek was surprised they didn’t tackle hug each other. It seemed like the type of thing the two of them would do.

When Stiles and Scott broke apart Derek offered his hand out to him and Scott shook it, a grin on his face. Derek then offered to give Scott the grand tour, and Stiles tagged along, chattering to Scott about some new video game that they had both been interested in. Derek silently led them to Laura and Cora’s room, allowing Scott to set his stuff down on one of the twin beds.

“So Derek, this is a nice house you got here. Is it close to the beach?” Scott took off the hoodie he was wearing and tossed it onto the bed next to his bags. It was a warm day outside, much too warm for anything but shorts and a t-shirt.

“How about I show you?” Derek led the other two teens down the stairs, through the living room and out the back door. The beach stretched out before them, about a hundred feet before it met the ocean, waves crashing along the shore.

“Wow. When you said it was close to the beach, I didn’t realize you meant the beach was your backyard…”

Derek nodded. “It’s also mostly private. There’s only one other beach house, on this stretch of beach, which is owned by my girlfriend’s dad. We used to vacation together, but our parents wanted separate beach houses. Something about this way Kate and I would have to sneak out of the house if we wanted to see each other.”

“How long have you two been dating?” Scott asked.

“Only a few months. I think three. But we’ve known each other for years. She’s my best friend.” She was also one of Derek’s only friends. He’d been popular in school, thanks to his looks and his skills with a baseball and basketball, but he didn’t have a lot of close friends. He’d always had trouble opening up to people, mostly preferring to be in the background, rather than the center of attention.

The sound of the front door opening interrupted them and had all three boys trudging through the house, eager to see who had arrived.

Isaac stood in the foyer, with someone who was obviously his dad. Mr. Lahey had a stern expression on his face, and Isaac looked like he was trying to fold in on himself. All three boys offered Mr. Lahey their hands and introduced him to their parents. Isaac was quiet, except to greet everyone, and the other three teens took him upstairs so he could put his stuff down. Isaac looked at the other twin bed near Scott’s before deciding to put his stuff on the futon. Derek started to protest, but one look at Isaac’s face had him backing off.

When they got back downstairs Dante had moved to the back porch to start the grill, trailed by Mr. Lahey and Mr. Stilin- John. The women were in the kitchen, cups of coffee sitting in front of them. The boys made their way into the living room and Derek flipped on the television, telling the other boys to pick a movie. Scott and Stiles immediately darted forward, perusing the enormous bookcase with obvious delight. Isaac hung back a little, but when Stiles looked back and saw him standing there, he pulled him into the discussion, and eventually the three of them agreed on Star Wars, which Derek was sure was only because Scott’s never seen it. The boys sat in silence as the opening credits begin, though Derek was fairly certain that Stiles was mouthing along to the words traveling up the screen. A grin spread across his face as he settled in just as a starship battle took place on screen.

About halfway through the movie another knock sounded on the front door. Talia got up from the table just as Derek was getting up from the couch. He opened the door and greeted Boyd, who was standing with an older lady who looked too old to be his mother.

“Hi, I’m Talia. You must be Boyd.” Talia greeted, holding out her hand for Boyd to shake. Boyd took it gingerly, before he quietly muttered out that the woman standing next to him was his grandmother.

“Thank you for offering to allow them to practice here.” Boyd’s grandma stated. “Vernon’s parents would be here, but I’m afraid they couldn’t get the time off of work. So I’m here instead.”

“It’s very nice to meet you. This is my son, Derek.” She nudged Derek with her elbow and he offered his hand for a firm handshake. “Would you like to come into the kitchen for some coffee? My husband is outside grilling some steaks. Boyd, Derek will show you where you can put your stuff, and then you can join the boys in the living room.”

Boyd didn’t say anything as they headed upstairs and dumped his stuff on the other twin bed in Laura and Cora’s room, or even when they headed back downstairs. The other three teens were exactly where Derek left them, but Stiles and Scott immediately jumped up to welcome Boyd and entreated him to join them on the couch. Boyd quietly accepted, and they joined Isaac, who didn’t say anything as he moved over to make room.

The movie was about three-quarters of the way finished when Dante poked his head in the door to announce that the steaks were done grilling. All the boys jumped up and walked out onto the back porch where a giant spread of food was sitting on the picnic table that Dante had set up the last summer they were at the beach house. Derek was about to grab a plate when Dante cleared his throat.

“I would just like to say a few words.” Dante announced, holding up his beer bottle. “I know you all are probably hungry, so I’ll keep it short. I’d like to thank you all for being here today, and supporting the boys as they embark on their journey. Obviously no one knows what the future holds for them, but they’ve made it a step closer to their dreams. So thank you all, and let’s eat!”

Derek grabbed his plate, and piled it up with food. He walked over to one of the deck chairs and sat down, Stiles right behind him.

“Hey.” Stiles said, gingerly sitting down while trying to keep his food level and balanced.

“Hey.”

Stiles took a bite of his food. “Wow, your parents are really good cooks.”

“Thanks. I take it your parents aren't?”

“Mom’s okay, but Dad is absolutely shit. I mean, he somehow manages to burn water.”

“Is that even possible?”

Stiles nodded his head gravely. “You’ll have to come to my house so you can see it.”

Derek laughed, just as Scott sat next to them.

“What’s so funny?”

“Just telling Derek about the time my dad burned water on the stove.”

“Oh yeah, you were telling me about that.” Scott laughed, before shoving some food in his mouth. “So, any idea which judge we’re getting?” He asked, changing the topic.

“No clue.” Stiles answered. “I mean, Deaton is a definite possibility, since he was the one who put us all together, but Harris had the groups last year, so maybe we’ll have him.”

“I hope not.” Scott said, mouth full of food. “Harris is the meanest judge on the panel. I heard he wasn’t too happy that Deaton put us all in a group, so he might axe us out of spite.”

“I think we’re going to have Deaton.” Derek said. “Harris hates the groups, judging by how he was with the groups last year, so he’ll probably have the boys this year, and Morrell will probably have the females, since she’s the only female judge. So that leaves us with either Deaton or Finstock, and since Finstock is more likely to go for the over twenty-eights, we’re stuck with Deaton. And since Deaton created two of the groups in the category this year, I think there’s a very good possibility that we have him this year.”

Stiles and Scott both nodded their heads as Boyd and Isaac sat down next to them, finally having food. The two other boys were almost silent as they ate their food, and Derek couldn’t tell if they were just shy, or if they were just naturally quiet. Boyd seemed the type to be naturally quiet, but Isaac looked like he could be a talker, given the chance. He also seemed like a sweet-natured kid especially when he was finished eating and asked Talia quietly if he could help clean up. Talia just waved him off, giving him a gentle nudge back into the living room where the boys had migrated to after they finished eating.

Derek restarted the movie, and promptly tuned it out, allowing himself to relax next to Stiles, and fall asleep, head dropping onto Stiles’s shoulder, who didn’t have the heart to move him. He didn’t wake up till Stiles was gently nudging him awake, and the boys were apparently at least halfway through the next movie.

“Wake up, sleepyhead. All the parents except mine are leaving.” The sky was still blue outside, and a glance at his phone told Derek that it was only five in the afternoon.

Derek struggled off the couch, wiping the sleepiness out of his eyes as he stretched. He followed Stiles to the front door where all the parents were waiting. Mrs. McCall had her arms wrapped around her son, looking like she was holding back tears. Scott looked a bit sad as well, hastily wiping away a stray tear when he thought no one was looking.

Grandma Boyd was holding Boyd’s hand and reaching up to pat his cheek before he bent down to kiss hers. She reached out her free hand to Talia, shaking it and thanking her for the meal, and looking over her grandson. She gave both Claudia and John hugs, then proceeded to give all the boys hugs as well. She then waved at everyone, making promises to come visit in a week or two.

Mr. Lahey stood in front of his son, a ways away from the group, looking stern. Isaac managed some nods, before his dad patted him on the back and gave Dante and John a firm handshake and a nod to the ladies before he left the house. He never said a word about seeing the rest of them, or even a real goodbye.

Melissa kept a hold of her son for a few more minutes, making him promise that he’d call her at least every other day. She then proceeded to hug everybody else, promising to call Claudia and Talia about some recipes, and thanking Talia and Dante profusely for allowing all the boys to stay. She kept walking backwards towards her vehicle, waving at everyone until she reached the door. After one final promise to call, she got into her vehicle and drove away.

Talia and Dante led everyone into the house, and everyone gathered in the living room. Stiles sat with his parents on the couch, cuddled between them as Scott sat on Claudia’s other side and John pulled Isaac into sitting next to him. Boyd and Derek sat in the arm chairs while Talia and Dante sat in the loveseat.

“So.” Talia stated, breaking the relative silence. “Are you boys ready for this?”

The question was met with silence, all five boys glancing nervously around at the others, as the Stilinksi parents and the Hales parents glanced at each other.

“I think that even if we’re not ready for it, it’s happening.” Scott piped up. “I mean, we’re all here, and in a matter of months we’re either going to lose X-Factor, or we’re going to win. We’re going to be on national television, whether we’re ready or not. I mean, we might not even make it past Judge’s Houses. I think the real question is what happens when all this is over. We haven’t even sang together yet.”

“Scott’s right.” Stiles threw his two cents in. “We don’t even know how good we are. What if we completely suck?”

“I don’t think we’ll completely suck.” Derek stated, finally finding his voice. “I mean, they put us all together for a reason.”

Boyd nodded with what Derek was saying, not one for saying much, while Isaac still looked a little nervous. Both parents were silent, allowing the boys to talk it through.

“We just need to practice a little.” Derek continued. “We also have to get used to singing in a group, but we can’t be that bad.”

* * *

Derek was wrong. They were terrible. They had been practicing for a week now, and today was their first day in the beach house with no adult supervision, Talia and Dante having taken the Stilinski’s on a short vacation to the city to spend some time with just the adults. The Stilinski’s would be going home at the end of the next week, and the Hale’s would leave as well, only coming back to check in every few days.

The first few days had been all about just shuffling through their ipods, and picking music that they loved to sing. They then compiled the list and crossed off songs that got voted down by at least three of the boys. Finally, they had a list of about twenty songs that they then downloaded all the instrumentals for, along with some sheet music.

Now that they had all the songs compiled together, they were having a hard time deciding which ones they wanted to sing. Scott wanted to sing some bubbly pop music crap that Derek couldn’t stand, while Isaac couldn’t seem to make up his mind and wavered in between siding with Derek and Scott, and Boyd didn’t have an opinion, while Stiles kept trying to suggest songs that weren’t on the list.

“Stiles, for the last time, no one wants to sing ‘Ice Ice Baby’,” Derek all but growled out. “No one even likes that song.”

“I’ll have you know that that is a fantastic song, Derek. So screw you.” Stiles crossed his arms over his chest, pouting.

“Can we please just stop arguing?” Scott grabbed the list. “Look, we just have to at least try to sing together, without killing each other.”

“As if I haven’t been saying that for the last hour.” Derek actually growled.

“Look man, obviously we’re all on edge. Let’s just take a break, get some food, and then come back hopefully in better moods.” Scott walked off towards the kitchen, flanked by Isaac and Boyd, and eventually Stiles, though he hesitated for a moment, waiting for Derek to join him.

Derek didn’t even look up as he sat next to the piano and started picking out a few notes. It’d been awhile since he’d played, but he could feel it coming back to him, and eventually he was playing the melody from “Iris”. He could feel the tension leaking out of him, frustration from the last several hours easing, and eventually he transitioned into “Wonderwall” which felt lighter.

“Hey,” Stiles sat down on the bench next to him.

“Hey.”

“You feeling less grumpy?” Stiles set a sandwich down in front of Derek.

Derek stopped playing, and grabbed a bite of the sandwich. “Thank you,” he mumbled around a mouth full of food.

Stiles smiled. “You’re welcome.”

The other three boys gradually made their way back into the room, Scott leaning against the piano, and Boyd and Isaac standing behind the two boys on the bench.

“So, did we decide on a song to sing?” Scott started rifling through all their music again.

“Can I suggest something?” Stiles smiled sheepishly.

“Promise it’s not something stupid,” Derek asked, elbowing Stiles.

“How do you guys feel about singing ‘Look After You’ by The Fray? I mean, it’s the sappy romance song Scott wants, and yet not bubble gum pop, which Derek hates.”

The rest of the boys thought about it, slow smiles spreading across their faces.

“I think it’s perfect,” Scott stated, slowly, and Derek nodded, and Boyd and Isaac made small grunts of affirmation.

Stiles hopped off the piano bench, and headed towards the stairs so he could go print off the lyrics, and maybe some sheet music for the song on the desktop in the office on the second floor. “Hey, Derek, if I can get piano sheet music, do you think you could play it?”

Derek nodded, and hopped off the bench so he could follow after Stiles. Stiles quickly found what he was looking for, and printed everything off, before racing back down the steps, and handing everything out. They spent the next few hours practicing, and though it was a bit rocky, they managed to get some semblance of a group sound down before they broke for dinner.

Dinner was simple, and afterwards, Derek took everybody outside, and built a fire on the beach with some of the firewood his dad had stored in the garage.

“Do you think we can do it,” Scott asked the group, breaking the silence.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Stiles answered him. “The next stage of the competition is coming, whether we like it or not. But I think we can do it. I mean, we made it through the auditions, and bootcamp, two of the toughest stages, by ourselves, and now we have four other people to help us get through the next two stages. I think we can do it.”

“And if we lose?”

“Then we lose.” Stiles shrugged his shoulders. “At least we made it this far. That’s more than most people can say.”

“You know,” Isaac broke in, “we keep talking about making it through the competition, but we’re forgetting the most important thing.”

Everyone turned to look at Isaac, questioning looks on their faces.

Isaac looked a little sheepish. “We don’t even have a name.”

All the rest of the boys just kind of stared incredulously at each other. Isaac was right, they didn’t have a name.

“Well, let’s just think about it, and then we can get back to each other in a day or two.” Stiles adjusted the blanket around his shoulders that he’d brought out from the house. “I mean, it’s a big decision, and if we make it through this, it’ll be the name that our fans, if we ever have any, will be screaming. I think we need to sleep on it, and toss a couple ideas around.”

“I think you’re right,” Derek spoke up. “In the meantime, let’s just keep working on our sound so we can make it through the next stage.”

“We should probably work on a few songs,” Scott said. “That way we can judge what would be the best fit, I mean, I like ‘Look After You’, but that might not be what’s best for us.”

“I agree,” Stiles spoke up. “The only way this is going to work is if we’re absolutely perfect. And that means finding the perfect name, the perfect song, everything.”

A silence fell upon them, the immensity of what was happening settling in. Eventually the boys drifted off to bed, Derek staying behind to put out the fire. When he made his way back in, Stiles was already in bed, sprawled out along the top bunk. He was awake though, and staring at the ceiling. Derek crawled into the bottom bunk, setting an alarm for the next morning on his phone. He then set his phone on the bedside table, and pulled the covers up to his chest.

“I’m scared.” Stiles’s voice broke the silence, sounding small in the darkness.

“Of what?”

“Of not making it.”

“I think everybody’s scared of that.”

“I know, but, I have to make it. There’s no other options for me. I’m not good at anything else. I mean, I have a job at the bakery back home, but I want to do more, you know?”

“I was getting ready to go off for college.”

“Really? What were you going to study?”

Derek snorted. “My parents wanted me to go to law school. Something like Harvard, or Yale.”

“And what did you want?”

“Well, if this doesn’t work, I’m going back to school to be a music teacher. Or maybe an english teacher.”

“I think you’d be a good teacher. You’re so patient and calm with everybody.”

“Yeah, well my parents don’t think it’s a good idea. I mean, they’d support whatever I decide to do, but they’re really disappointed I’m not going to law school.”

“At least you have a sort of back-up plan. If this doesn’t work, I have no idea what I’m going to do. I’m not really talented at anything.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“The only extra-curricular I’ve done in all my years of school is I formed a band with some friends.”

“Were you any good?”

Stiles laughed. “Not really. I mean, we won the local Battle of the Bands competition, but I mean, we live in a town of five hundred people. Not a lot of competition, much less anybody good. It was like who was the best of the worst. Anyways, we split up right before I auditioned, so I don’t even have that to go back to.”

“What was the name of your band?”

Stiles laughed again. “Original Star Junkies. We thought we were so cool.” He let out a yawn. “Well, I guess we should try to get some sleep. Knowing Scott, he’s going to be knocking on our door at eight, ready to start the day. Night Derek.” He yawned again.

“Night Stiles.”

* * *

Fate flew out calmly over the water, the moon hanging over her head. Things were starting to fall into place, like pieces moving along the chess board. All was going according to plan, and she couldn’t be happier. It wouldn’t be long now, she was sure. Not long at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews make the world go round <3

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that's it. The journey has begun, and I hope you all stick around for the ride. It's going to be, as Fate put it, an epic ride.


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